“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.” Psalm 71:20
Last Thursday I returned to my former grade school, Incarnate Word Academy, to speak at their faculty/staff retreat. The retreat was held in St. Joseph Hall, and for the most part, everything was as I remember it, except for the fact that the gymnasium floor looked brand-new. I was not surprised at how easy it was to remember where everything was and what it looked like. A lot of time was spent in the building, whether it was for basketball practice, wrestling practice or gym class. But this time I was there for a different purpose.
The talk went great! I was much more open with certain details of my journey that I have yet to touch on in any of my previous talks. It served as a chance for me to test out a different feel/flow and ended up working out quite nicely. By the time I was done, there literally was not a dry eye in the audience as I took them up, down and all around for an emotional ride. Among those listening to me speak, were Sr. Elizabeth and Sr. Eileen, my former fifth-grade teacher and principal, respectively. The picture below was snapped after I had wrapped everything up.
The next day, Friday, was spent at MetroHealth Hospital, which hosted its 17th annual SCI Forum. This event afforded me the opportunity to reconnect with some old faces and meet some new patients and their families. I am always very humbled to meet individuals who have recently suffered a spinal cord injury. The feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, hesitation, despair and hope can easily be seen in their eyes. Those first few weeks following the injury are a very delicate and emotional time that I vividly remember. I make it a point to share my story as well as listen to their stories, even if it means telling my story five different times. There is a lot I know now that probably would have helped me back when I was first injured. Thus, I make it a point to really focus on answering their questions/concerns in an extremely honest yet hopeful manner. It’s nice to finish the conversation and wheel away, leaving them with a smile on their face that wasn’t necessarily there when the conversation began.
Monday evening I tested another new presentation theme when I spoke to the eighth graders and their parents at St. Joseph’s grade school in Avon Lake. I opened my talk with a powerful video that established a serious tone and did not lend itself too well to my usual lighthearted humor. I also closed the talk with another brand-new video, much more uplifting. The content in between focused on trusting in the Lord and planting seeds of faith that we inevitably will need to harvest at some point in our lives. While it was the first time I delivered my message this way, I still believe it achieved its objective. I definitely held the attention of the kids, evidenced by the wide-eyed and intense gaze they kept fixated on me. Katie, who is one of their teachers, shared a quote with me that her 13-year-old student told her: “His entire story really moved me on how he sees his accident as a blessing and that he continues to fight, pray and believe every day, even after what happened.” For some reason, getting a compliment like that from a 13-year-old feels much more rewarding than if it were to come from the student’s parents.
After not having worked out for a week, I resumed my workouts yesterday. Mike worked me out pretty hard, and we spent a lot of time working the core muscles. I was able to sit on the end of the platform table unassisted for about 10-15 seconds. It may not seem like much, but it was a first for me. As I tell others I meet, “celebrate every victory, no matter how small.”Although, I plan to make it a short-lived celebration by exceeding the previous time with each subsequent work out.
Finally, having the opportunity to speak to everyone these past few days – teachers, students, patients and their families – reminds me of something I told my friend Mike when he was visiting a few weeks ago. We were sitting on the porch discussing what these past three years have been like. I remember telling him that had this accident not happened, I don’t know if my life would have been as fulfilled. These past few days certainly reminded me of that.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
Stand Strong!
Scott